Israel’s News Blog Magazine: Daily Stories Video and Photos

Very fast talking but worth a listen. Cell phones, Cancer, Obama and other news.
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George Carlin dies this week very unexpectedly. The man that had such great hits like seven words you can’t say on TV and countless comedy shows that personally were some of the best I have heard is gone.

A little religious tribute seems fitting considering the context of the clip and the fact that if he was wrong, he is going to have some explaining to do

Dr. Mordechai Kedar, an expert on Arab politics from Bar Ilan University, was invited for an interview on Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based cable news channel. From the very start, the interview turned into a heated argument.

Despite his rude manner, Dr. Kedar presented the Israeli-Jewish dogma in a clear and simple fashion. In short, he says that Jerusalem is historically and religiously connected to Judaism, while the Quran doesn’t explicitly mentions Jerusalem (Al-Quds in Arabic) even once. Furthermore, he claims that while the Golan Heights might be considered an “occupied territory” since it was conquered from the Syrians, no country has an historical claim on the West Bank. Jordan conquered this region when the Brits departed in 1948, but the land did not belong to the Jordanians nor to the Brits. Since 1967, Israel is in control of the West Bank, yet it isn’t an occupied territory taken from another country. He even compares the West Bank to Antarctica, which doesn’t belong to any one country.

Personally, I think he has valid points. No other country has a claim on the West Bank. Nevertheless, there are millions of people living in that region, without formal rights. They were not granted Israeli citizenship, and they don’t hold no other citizenship as well. One cannot ignore the reality of their presence.

In Israel we celebrate Shavuot today. It’s a holiday that marks the beginning of summer, as well as symbolizing the day when Moses received the Ten Commandments from God. Eating dairy products is traditional in Shavuot, as well as spraying each other with buckets of water.

I love Shavuot. It’s an optimistic holiday. So I’ll share with you today an optimistic video clip from the local indie music scene. Yonatan Rozen is the singer, and he’s mainly known in Israel as an actor. The song is titled “Automobile”. Happy Holiday!

There is only one Jerusalem. And there is only one Tel-Aviv. Both cities dominate the Israeli landscape, while each of them represents different aspects of the country.

Jerusalem is the capital. The heart of Judaism, and the largest city in the country, it is home to the Knesset (the Israeli parliament). Jerusalem lies inland, on top of several hills, and surrounded by forests and valleys. It is a conflict city, which has a large orthodox population on one side, as well as a large Arab population on the other side.

Tel Aviv is the heart of new Israel, the epicenter of its culture and its Western lifestyle. The first Hebrew city to be built by the Zionist pioneers, it lies on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, and attracts young people at their 20’s from all across the land. Many foreign embassies reside in Tel Aviv — including the American embassy — since Jerusalem’s status as the Israeli capital is under dispute in the international scene.

The “Ha’Dag Nahash” (the Snake Fish), a successful Israeli band, has a rap song that describes the rivalry between these two cities. The character in the song moves back and forth from one city to the other, uncertain where his heart lies.

The first and third chorus goes like this:
Tel-Aviv, A’Ni Ma’Gia, Ba’ti Leha’Zia - A’T Ha’Yechi’Da, A’Ni Nish’Ba
(Tel-Aviv, I’m coming, ready to sweat - You’re the only one, I swear)

The second chorus goes like this:
Ye’Ru’Shala’Eem, Ho’Zer E’Laeich, El Ho’Mo’Taich - A’T Ha’Yechi’Da, A’Ni Nish’Ba
(Jerusalem, I’m returning to you, inside your walls - You’re the only one, I swear)

Israeli people are known for their sauciness and their “spunk”. They have the boldness to strive for success and to invent breakthrough enterprises. A good example for this would be the large amout of Israeli entrepreneurs, especially in the high-tech domain. And an even better example would be the state of Israel itself! I mean, it took major spunk for the first Jewish immigrants to disobey the Turkish and British authorities in Palestine, and to claim their place in the world. Whenever they were told “No”, they did not waver, and came up with saucy ideas such as the “Tower and stockade” operations.

Yesterday we saw a good example of that spunk on TV. As a prelude to his second visit of Israel (which began today), gave George W. Bush an exclusive interview to Israel’s Channel 10 News, conducted by front anchormen Yaakov Eilon and Gil Tamari. They sat down for an open, apparently unscripted, conversation with the US President. He seemed amused by their questions and attitude, and they came across as naughty kids who enjoy pushing the envelope ever more.

Watch a short clip of the interview: Mr. Bush on the Olmert Allegations

You could see them inquiring the president about his vision for the middle east, asking for his opinion as regards to the corruption allegations againt Israeli PM Ehud Olmert, and greeting him on his daughter’s wedding. At one point, they began speculating about a possible Iran attack, and albeit Mr. Bush said he doesn’t like to talk hypothetically, they continued to press the issue. Later, they teased the president about his relative lack of involvement in the middle east, saying it took him 7 years to actually “get started”, and asking whether the next president should start earlier. Yes, it actually happened, and I must say that admired the president’s way of handling the cross-fire. He remained calm, even laughed a bit, and then gave straight and frank answers about what he think that could and couldn’t be achieved by the end of his candidacy.

Finally, these two cheeky anchormen directly appealed Mr. Bush to release Jonathan Pollard — the Israeli spy held prison in the States since 1987 — as a goodwill gesture in accordance with Israel’s 60th birthday. He simply said that his policy on the matter hasn’t changed, and even agreed to reveal that he continually receives such official requests from the Israeli government; a piece of information the Israeli public would find very satisfying.

Maybe it’s the freshness of Channel 10 attitude, or perhaps it’s the lax behavior of a president who’s about to leave office — in any case, this rare interview was a pleasure to watch.